Overwhelmed by colored pencil information?

They're just pencils, right? They're supposed to be easy!

Sure, you've figured out how to fill-in-the-blanks and do some mediocre blending... but most online tutorials are nothing more than "I used this color and then I used that color..." which misses a lot of key information.

Conversely, there's great information on some art websites but a lot of it is technical sounding and assumes you're some sort of drawing genius with years of experience.

You want something more than the crafty stuff without having to go back to college.

You want to make art.

Colored Pencil Plus is more than monkey-see, monkey-do coloring demonstrations.

The goal is to help you understand your pencils from the basics up-- setting the foundation for a lifetime of creative self expression.

What supplies to purchase-what you really need, what's just fluffy extra stuff, and how to choose from the many brands available

How to hold your pencils-how to position your hand, arm, and body to make the most efficient and artistic strokes

How to begin your projects-eliminate the guesswork and the habit of recklessly charging in without a plan

How to fix a mistake-and how to move on if you can't fix the flaw

What order to apply colors-finding the method that's right for your brain

How to blend-and when not to blend

How to shape and layer objects-understanding dimension and space rather than worrying about lighting conditions

"Red Striped Rose" (week 12 project)-

Start with beginner level skills and progress to artistic realism. Amy helps you learn to simplify complex florals into easy to manage and fun to color segments.

Join anytime. Work at your own pace.

Change the way you think about color...

and it will change the way you color!

Colored Pencil Plus is an online, twelve week introduction to the artistic approach to colored pencils.

Amy Shulke is a professional technical illustrator with a special passion for teaching beginners how to color, paint, and draw. She teaches students to be independently creative rather than dependent on further classes for inspiration. Amy designs her projects to help you practice and perfect versatile skills rather than demonstrating just enough technique to get you through a single project.

Colored Pencil Plus has an active course discussion board. Instructor feedback and student support are a key feature of this course. Every project photo you submit will be carefully considered and you'll receive advice specifically tailored to your unique needs. Ask for clarification or further information at any time!

Weekly Projects:

This course is ideal for:

beginners who are frustrated with their lack of growth using tutorials and "how to color a ______" videos

self taught colorers who feel as if they've missed the big secret to amazing coloring

unconfident colorers who still encounter problems with blending, shading, or developing convincing depth

You do not have to be a beginner to benefit from Colored Pencil Plus. This is art-based instruction and the approach is completely different than anything you've experienced in any coloring course or class.

Students rave about Amy's courses:

I am truly thankful that I took this class. I've been in the Basics class for over a year and I thought I'd learned all of Amy's tips and tricks. This class took me from a crafty marker girl to a real artist. I see things differently now, from the colors I use to the depth and subtle touches that pull the whole image together. When I look at my first image I realize how far I have come in twelve weeks. Thank you Amy, for driving the bus. You made the journey fun and challenging by pushing me beyond my comfort zone. I have a collection of projects now I am very proud of.

-Frankie

...I've taken numerous live and online classes but feel that I've learned far more from [Amy's] instruction than anything before. Incorporating colored pencil has made my coloring look much more like I've been working toward for several years. Thank you!

- Joy

What an amazing experience!

- Eva

Amy's instruction style is relaxed and down to earth. She was informative and friendly but most of all, Amy challenged me to learn the technique rather than watch and copy. The introduction of colored pencils to my Copic pictures has changed my entire perspective on how I want my projects to look. I have gone through many of my marker projects that I thought were done and will now finish with pencil. This class helped me view my projects as art and I highly recommend it to anyone interested.

Work at your own pace

Forever access

Open enrollment. Join anytime.

But wait!

Before you purchase, you need to know...

This is NOT your grandma's coloring class! Amy is extremely detail oriented and she shares fun facts in a humorous and unorthodox way. It's serious coloring with a light hearted approach.

This course will make you think. If you're not ready to challenge your coloring assumptions, this is not the course for you.

Lurkers loose! The whole point of this course is to improve your coloring, right? The way that happens is to complete your projects and then submit them to the discussion board for evaluation and encouragement. Amy helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses; she will give you specific instructions on how to make improvements. If you don't turn your projects in, you loose out on the feedback experience- the most valuable part of the class.

This course will change the way you look at the world around you. Be prepared for odd looks and eye-rolls from your family when you stop mowing the lawn to stare at the color of the grass or when you pause a television show in order to look closer at the tree on the left. Sorry, being weird is part of being an artist.